Ferdinand Magellan

In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand
Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble,
he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political
intrigue at court and lost the king's favor. After he was dismissed from service by the
king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain.
A papal decree of 1493 had assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W
longitude to Spain and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to
prove that the East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519,
Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships
was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the
continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern
peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near 50
degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is
known as the Strait of Magellan.
One ship deserted while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were
privileged to gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained
crossed the meridian now known as the International Date Line in the early spring of
1521 after 98 days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many of
Magellan's men died of starvation and disease.
Later, Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed
in a tribal battle. Only one ship and 17 sailors under the command of the Basque
navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus prove
once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge.
Answer the following questions.
1. The 16th century was an age of great ______ exploration.
A. cosmic
B. land
C. mental
D. common man
E. None of the above

2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a
political ________.
A. entanglement
B. discussion
C. negotiation
D. problem
E. None of the above
3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their
location on one side or the other of an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of
Greenwich that extends in a _________ direction.
A. north and south
B. crosswise
C. easterly
D. south east
E. north and west
4. One of Magellan's ships explored the _________ of South America for a passage
across the continent.
A. coastline
B. mountain range
C. physical features
D. islands
E. None of the above
5. Four of the ships sought a passage along a southern ______.
A. coast
B. inland
C. body of land with water on three sides
D. border
E. Answer not available
6. The passage was found near 50 degrees S of ________.
A. Greenwich
B. The equator
C. Spain
D. Portugal
E. Madrid

7. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the _______ now called the International
Date Line.
A. imaginary circle passing through the poles
B. imaginary line parallel to the equator
C. area
D. land mass
E. Answer not available